The lionfish has colonized large swaths of the Eastern Seaboard, the Caribbean and recently the Gulf of Mexico, and threatens to wreak ecological chaos as far away as South America. (AP Photo/Miguel Tovar)

(Newser)
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How to make Uncle Sam proud: Buy American, fly a flag, eat...lionfish? That third one is, indeed, what one government agency would like you to do. The voracious, aggressively invasive lionfish is wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, off the Florida Keys, and along the Atlantic as far north as Massachusetts, eating its way through 56 species of fish and invertebrates and multiplying like mad—a female produces 2 million eggs each year. That's led a government oceanic agency to get behind an "Eat Lionfish" campaign, reports MSNBC.

Promoters say the spiky lionfish may not look appetizing, but its white, flaky flesh is indeed tasty. But use caution: "They are venomous, but it’s only in the spines, not in the meat," says the director of a marine conservation nonprofit, only somewhat reassuringly. "With just normal precautions, you can fillet it, and get a very nice piece of fish.” The lionfish, which is native to the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, made the jump from exotic pet to invasive species in the 1980s, probably after someone in the aquarium trade released one into the Atlantic, says researchers.

Be a Good American: Eat This Fish or put another way, "if you don't eat this fish you're unamerican. maybe even a traitor". wow, this sort of forced patriotism is injected into everything you people do! even in your lighthearted news articles. geez.

theraptor

Aug 16, 2010 9:46 AM CDT

One wasn't released... Hundreds have been over the years, probably thousands. The source has been traced back to wild release (only a handful - not enough). A hurican that released a few dozen (probably enough). And the balist water from ships coming from where these are native. These fish breed in shallow water, where ships pick up their balist water, and the eggs are carried here, and when the water is dumped, so are the eggs. Two members are not enough for a viable population, the gentic diversity is not great enough. Fish do better than most animals about being in gentic bottle necks, but there's a greater source than wild release. Wild release is still bad... but they are being brought in by other methods to have a population like this.

TheTramp

Aug 16, 2010 7:55 AM CDT

In NC and Florida, you can go on lion-fish culls with a spear gun. I don't think I would be brave enough to try to fillet them myself though.